Find out how popular the last name Donnellan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Donnellan.

Donnellan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Donnellan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Donnellan in America

Donnellan is the 17720th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Donnellan surname appeared 1,582 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Donnellan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Donnellan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Donnellan

The surname Donnellan is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic name O'Donnghaile, which means "descendant of the brown valiant one." It is believed to have first appeared in the 10th century in the province of Connacht, specifically in counties Mayo and Sligo.

The name is derived from the Gaelic words "donn," meaning brown, and "gal," meaning valiant or brave. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with a brown complexion who was known for their valor or bravery in battle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donnellan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a notable figure named Donnellan O'Donnellan who was a chief of the Hy-Fiachrach clan in County Sligo in the 12th century.

Another historical reference to the name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records from the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century. These records mention a John Donnellan who was granted lands in County Mayo in 1543.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name with a specific date is that of Sir Nehemiah Donnellan, who was born in County Mayo in 1589. He served as a member of the Irish Parliament and was knighted by King James I in 1624.

Another notable figure with the surname Donnellan was James Donnellan (1737-1814), an Irish philosopher and academic who served as the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, from 1798 to 1814.

Other individuals of historical significance with the surname Donnellan include:

1. Thomas Donnellan (1795-1856), an Irish Catholic priest and writer who authored several works on theology and history.

2. Mary Donnellan (1837-1909), an Irish writer and journalist who was a prominent advocate for women's rights and education.

3. Dermot Donnellan (1882-1949), an Irish Sinn Féin politician and member of the First Dáil Éireann, the revolutionary parliament established during the Irish War of Independence.

4. John Donnellan (1920-2008), an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team and won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1947 and 1953.

5. Patrick Donnellan (born 1955), an Irish actor known for his roles in films such as "The Commitments" and "The Snapper."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Donnellan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Donnellan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Donnellan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Donnellan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Donnellan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Donnellan, please contact us.

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